Patents by Inventor Janie M. Vitek

Janie M. Vitek has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Miniature inflator
    Patent number: 5944343
    Abstract: A gas generator of a side impact air bag inflator comprises a propellant chamber having a proximate and distal end and a plurality of apertures radially disposed about said distal end. Upon combustion of propellant within the chamber, longitudinal flow of the resulting gases is created by virtue of the distal end apertures. Longitudinal gas flow through the chamber and then axially opposite through a filter quickens the deployment rate, and improves the filtering and cooling capability of a smaller side impact inflator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 1997
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1999
    Assignee: Automotive Systems Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: Janie M. Vitek, John M. Slager
  • Dual chamber nonazide gas generator
    Patent number: 5628528
    Abstract: A gas generator (10) utilizes two segregated propellant container/combustion chambers (62) and (64), each having a plurality of nonazide propellant grains (40 and 66) therein, and an igniter (24) for igniting only the propellant grains (40) located within the first combustion chamber (62). The nonazide propellant produces enough heat energy to subsequently ignite the segregated propellant grains (66) by forced convection and/or heat conduction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 1995
    Date of Patent: May 13, 1997
    Assignee: Automotive Systems Laboratory, Inc.
    Inventors: James J. DeSautelle, Janie M. Vitek